Droolmaal

While most of your friends are busy showing off their clumsy little DV cams, it's a good idea to go get yourself the soon-to-be-released Canon HV20 camcorder. Why's it special? Gone are the days of PAL / NTSC resolutions.

The Canon HV20 is powered by a massive 1920 x 1080 sensor. This makes it perfect for shooting HD-resolution videos and then watch them on your HDTV using the HDMI interface. It has a 24p Cinema Mode, which allows even a novice to give a film-like look to videos. It also works as a 3.1-megapixel still camera. The Digic DV II will ensure great video quality, so it's goodbye to all the graininess and dull, de-saturated colors. It also lets you shoot a 2-megapixel photograph, while shooting live video footage. The camera is expected to be priced at a little over $1,100 (Rs 50,000).

Sony Reader
This is an e-book readerWhere to buy 3355 3355 that can read PDFs, JPEGs, BBeB books, as well as MP3 and AAC e-books. The Reader's batteries won't die out on you before 7,500 pages have been read! Connect it to your PC, and start up the CONNECT program-and a wide range of books are available for you to browse through.

You can then go on to buy them and download them to the Reader. CONNECT will convert Microsoft Word and RTF files for you before dumping them on to the Reader. There's enough space for up to 80 books, and memory sticks can be attached to increase the space. The screen is better than most LCDs, and has a viewing angle of up to 180 degrees. What's not to like? You can also dress it up in a nice leather cover.

Honda Asimo
Honda started off on their robotics experiments in the mid-80s. Two decades later, Asimo can run at a pace of 6.4 kmph, along with doing a wide range of other activities. The new Asimo is a lot more flexible, and better use of sensors means human interaction has improved as well. It can recognise facial expressions and can follow voice commands.

Force sensors allow Asimo to grab trays or carts accurately and manoeuvre them. Visual sensors let it get a proper idea of the surroundings and allow it to easily slow down to adjust or handle any obstructions that might come in the way. Honda hopes to make the Asimo a helper for those who aren't mobile, and also to assist workers in hazardous conditions. Cost? About a million dollars...

Audio Technica ATH-W5000
This one is for audiophiles who are willing to sacrifice an arm and a limb for this expensive set of headphones. The insides of the headphones are housed in a wooden shell. Most fairly expensive headphones belt out audio between 20 Hz and 20 kHz; the ATH-W5000 absolutely destroys this figure, its range being 5 to 45,000 Hz.

High-quality oxygen-free coils are used for superior signal transfer. To reduce the weight of the phones, magnesium alloys have been used in the frame. The magnet is made of neodymium, and the connectors are gold-coated to ensure no static and best conductivity.

Zink Camera Printer
Zink is what the creators prefer to call Zero Ink. Yes, they claim they can print out images without any ink. Instead, they use a special paper called Zink paper, which has three layers of dyes. The fun thing about this device is that it's a camera too, so you can print as you go around clicking photos.

The 7-megapixel camera comes with a 3x optical zoom and a 2-inch screen. The printer can then print the 2 x 3-inch photos. The rechargeable batteries are integrated, and SD memory cards can be used to store your photos. But don't pull out your wallet just yet: the Zink camera printer isn't going to be out before the last quarter of this year, and there's no price set either.